UN recognises four youths as ‘Real Life Hero’

Marking World Humanitarian Day on Wednesday, the United Nations (UN) has recognized four Bangladeshi youths as "real life heroes" for their contribution to humanitarian work including Dhaka University (DU) student Tanbir Hasan Shaikat.

Tanbir, a former member of DUCSU and leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of the ruling Awami League, along with a team of volunteers collected and distributed foods among poor for 116 days uninterruptedly around the DU campus, read UN website.

He collected donations and raised funds from his friends, teachers, and other well wishers who were willing to donate to keep this work going, it said.

Talking to BSS, Shaikat said, "I am not doing the thing for recognition. However, I feel proud after getting this recognition from the UN and it aroused inspiration in my inner soul to stand by the needy people in future." Rizvi Hassan was recognized for work with Brac and Unicef in designing a safe space and a community centre for women and girls at the Cox's Bazar refugee camp after aid workers involved in gender-based violence work in the camp reported that women and girls needed a safe space to receive counselling and skills training.

Meanwhile, Sifat Noor was hailed as a humanitarian hero for his contribution to translating critical, potentially life-saving information into Bengali so more people have the information they need to lead safe, healthy, and informed lives.

The campaign also recognized Akhi, a girl rescued from hazardous child labour by World Vision, as a real life hero as she decided to make masks because masks were not available in the market when Covid-19 started to spread in Bangladesh.

Akhi sells her masks at a low cost so that her poor neighbors can afford them, the website said.

Humanitarian workers around the world are being recognized as "real life heroes" by the United Nations for their work on the front lines of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.